With a simple text instruction (a “prompt”), we can now ask a so-called “intelligent” machine to generate images: portraits, landscapes, objects, architecture, typography, illustrations. Increasingly, these machines can also imitate styles according to instructions given with ever greater nuance, subtlety, and even daring.
These new tools are extremely powerful and call for reflection on how they are used. The risks are significant. We may be witnessing a major loss of complexity in our collective imagination, with the corollary of a better anticipation of the public’s tastes. Cultural standardization is nothing new, but with the massive arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) in the production of images and texts, we risk sinking into a recursive world characterized by simulated reproductions. Since AI is now a reality, we need to learn how to manage it. We can then make an informed choice not to use it, but we cannot ignore it.

Target audience

This course is primarily intended for people familiar with the fields of art and/or design who wish to strengthen their professional prospects in areas related to emerging technologies.

Prerequisites

Basic computer literacy (word processing, file management, etc.).

Learning outcomes

This course will introduce the main tools, websites, and algorithms currently used to generate text and images. It will enable participants to understand how to go from a “prompt” to an image, modify the result, and integrate it into creative work.

• Understand the issues raised by machine learning in the creative process
• Understand the different deep learning models: Disco Diffusion, Midjourney, GPT, etc.
• Become familiar with key model-training platforms such as Google Colab, Copy.AI, or Discord
• Be able to integrate image and text generators into the ideation process of a project
• Be able to carry out curatorial work around these processes

Course format

Lectures and workshops.

Dates and detailed program (Spring/Fall 2026)

Taught by